Strike Witches: Heroes' Return: Sanya and Eila
by XDrakePhoenixX
Summary: Eila wishes to reveal her true feelings to Sanya, but how? And what will happen when someone dear to you is nearly lost? I'm not the best with summaries, but I hope this gains your interest. EilaxSanya, romance mostly. More inside...
1. Chapter 1

**STRIKE WITCHES: HEROS' RETURN: EILA AND SANYA**

**Chapter One**

Eila Ilmatar Juutilainen jumped as the bed shifted. She looked down to find her Orussian friend fast asleep on her bed. _Again?_ Eila thought. She put the covers over Sanya gently, careful not to wake the sleeping witch. _Fine, but this is the last time, okay?_ she thought for at least the hundredth time. However Eila knew very well that those words meant absolutely nothing. She got up, gathered all of Sanya's discarded garments, then neatly folded and placed them at the end of the bed. After getting into her own uniform Eila left the room, stealing one last glace at Sanya.

By then the base was alive with activity. Activity Eila was used to. Being with the 501st in Brittania and Romagna left her accustomed to late nights, early mornings, and general lack of normality. Military life does that to a person. But this was beyond what any of the 501st were prepared for. Virtually all the witches of Liberion were here, and many of them were new recruits. Eila's patience around them was thin, and thinner still when it involved Sanya. A group of young witches were chattering loudly through the hallway. Eila stormed up to them, her expression cold. "Would you _quiet down?!_ You'll wake my friend!" she whispered harshly. The girls nodded quickly and filed out in silence, more afraid of Eila's fierce expression than her words. Sighing, Eila continued to the kitchens.

Yoshika Miyafuji was cooking for the 501st that morning. _Miyafuji_, Eila thought. She couldn't tell if she liked the Fuso girl or not. Though her kindness and openness were refreshing, it got on her nerves at times. She also felt bittersweet about the friendship between Miyafuji and Sanya. Although she found it good that Sanya had made a new friend and was opening up, Eila felt a little jealous. Even if she did count Miyafuji as a friend, and knew she was devoted to Lynne. She shook her head. _You can't keep Sanya away from everyone just because they're too friendly, it's not healthy for her,_ she scolded herself. That didn't change her feelings, however.

"Good morning, Eila-san," Miyafuji said cheerfully, spotting Eila. She waved half-heartedly in reply, still simmering over the loud girls from the hallway. Before Miyafuji could ask, Eila said "Some younger witches were making a lot of noise near where Sanya's sleeping. Why can't they keep it down?"

"Your ability to see into the future is as good as ever, I see," Miyafuji said with a cheerful laugh. Eila nodded. She sat and looked at her food. "What is this? Natto again?" she asked. Miyafuji nodded enthusiastically. It was hard to hate her. Eila didn't have the energy to deny her, so she ate without complaint. Once she was done, she took a second serving and brought it back to her room. Halfway there she bumped into none other than . . .

"Sanya?" Sanya sleepily rubbed her eyes and smiled. "Good morning Eila," she said.

"G-good morning! Did someone wake you? Where are your clothes?!" Eila asked, noticing that Sanya was walking around in nothing but her undergarments. Sanya looked down, as if she just noticed this as well. "Oh, that's not good . . . " she said absentmindedly. Eila hurriedly led her back to her room and, putting down the natto, helped her into her uniform. She blushed as she did this, but Sanya seemed not to notice. They sat on the bed. "Miyafuji made us natto again," Eila said, sounding slightly dismissive.

"Yoshika's cooking is always good," Sanya said, checking out the dish. She unintentionally leaned over Eila to do this, much to Eila's embarrassment and guilty pleasure.

"Uhm, Sanya . . . "

"What?"

"Could you get off me?" The Orussian witch looked down and saw Eila under her, and moved out of the way. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Eila said, blushing crimson. She actually didn't mind it at all, but she didn't dare tell Sanya that. Eila watched as her friend ate, mesmerized by how Sanya carefully and delicately put each spoonful of beans into her mouth. Sanya then noticed Eila watching her. "Something bothering you?" she asked. Eila jumped, caught staring. "I. . . uh . . . it's nothing! I just . . . was . . . uh . . . staring off at the sun, that's all!" Eila stammered, pointing at the sunless window. Sanya looked at the window, but didn't question her friend any further. _That was close_ Eila thought, blushing some more. It had been this way ever since they first met.

_Eila sat at the back of the conference room, quiet and reserved as usual. Though she had made friends with most of the 501__st__, she generally kept to herself. Normally she ignored all but the important parts of what Wing Commander Minna had to say, but something about today kept her attention. Part of it had to do with what Eila's tarot cards told her this morning. She had come across the Lover's card, which meant she would find something or someone she would fall in love with. Combine that with the fact that a new recruit was coming in, Eila was interested._

_ "May I have your attention please?" Commander Minna said, clapping her hands twice. Everyone, including Eila, fixed their attention on their commanding officer. "As you have been told, we are receiving a new recruit from Orussia. This is Alexandra Vladimirovna Litvyak." As she said this, a small girl walked in. Eila's heart nearly stopped then and there. Snow white skin, silvery grey hair. Eyes like emeralds and small frame, this girl was the definition of beauty in Eila's mind. "Please, call me Sanya," the girl said, her voice as soft as velvet and barely above a whisper._

_ "Sanya," Eila breathed quietly, sounding out the name. Even her name was beautiful._

_ "Sanya's rank is Flying Officer, so would one of you like to show her around the base?" Minna asked, indicating either Hartmann, Perrine, or Eila._

_ "I'll do it!" Eila said quickly, perhaps a bit too enthusiastically. Minna nodded._

_ "Excellent Eila, good to see you volunteering your time. I'll leave her to you then. But first, introductions. Sanya, this is Major Mio Sakamoto, our Commanding Officer in battle. Then we have Captain Gertrud Barkhorn, Flight Lieutenant Charlotte Yeager, Flying Officer Erica Hartmann, Flying Officer Perrine Clostermann, Ensign Francesca Lucchini, and finally, Flying Officer Eila Juutilainen." Each witch raised their hand in acknowledgment._

_ As Minna told Sanya her room number, rank insignia, etc., Eila could not help but stare at the new witch. Her reverie was broken as Lucchini nudged her. "Eh?" she said, before realizing Sanya was standing in front of her. Eila jumped in surprise, but quickly regained her composure. More or less. "H-hi," Eila said, stuttering._

_ "Hi," Sanya said, quiet and shy._

_ Suddenly, Lucchini came up behind Sanya and gave her a huge hug. "Welcome to the five o' first!" she said, grabbing Sanya's breasts, which made the Orussian girl cry out in surprise and embarrassment. Eila immediately jumped up and pried Lucchini off of her. Lucchini looked at Eila in confusion. The latter looked at her with a venomous look. "Should I show you around the base?" Eila asked Sanya, never taking her eyes off Lucchini. "Yes, thank you," Sanya replied, a little shaken up._

_ "And this is your room. I hope it's to your liking," Eila said, as she opened a vacant bedroom. Sanya entered with her things, and looked around. "Cozy," was all she said. Eila stood in the doorway, trying not to look too interested. Sanya opened her suitcase and pulled out some heavy drapes. She then hung them over the windows, casting the room into darkness. "Not much for sunlight?" Eila asked._

_ "I like the dark."_

_ "I see," Eila said. When Sanya finished setting up her room to her liking, Eila continued the tour. She showed Sanya the training course, the dormitories, the command center, the hangar, dining room and kitchen, and finished with the baths. "Do you have a sauna?" Sanya asked._

_ "No, sadly not. You like saunas too?" Eila said, surprised. Sanya nodded._

_ "We should ask for one then!" Eila said excitedly. Later that day they did indeed ask for a sauna, and Minna readily agreed, happy the two girls had found a friendship in each other._

_ The next day, Eila confronted Lucchini. "What did you grab her for?!" Eila demanded._

_ "To see what her size was," Lucchini said innocently. Eila sighed._

_ "Don't touch her like that again!"_

_ "Why not?"_

_ "Because!"_

_ "Because why?"_

_ "Because... because..." Eila stammered, grasping for reply. "You want to keep her for yourself?" Lucchini teased. Eila fumed, blushing bright red. "That's not it! I just don't want her to think we're all perverts!" she said._

_ "But don't we do this to everyone?" Lucchini asked. Eila was stumped there. It was true that she or Lucchini had groped newcomers. Something about Sanya though stopped Eila. She was shy around the new girl, yet was very attached. She certainly _wanted_ to touch Sanya like that, but on Sanya's terms only._

_ "How about a compromise? We leave Sanya's body alone, and we'll see who can find the biggest chest. Deal?" Eila said, thinking quickly._

_ "Deal!" Lucchini said, shaking Eila's hand. Eila then returned to Sanya's side (Sanya having no idea what just transpired), and offered to read her fortune._

_ "I'd love that!" Sanya said, very interested. They went to Eila's room, and Eila spread out her cards. She shuffled them, split it into three decks, then put them back together. Neatly spreading them, she had Sanya pick one card. It was the ten of swords. "What did you ask?" Eila asked. _

_ "I asked if I would see my parents again. What does this mean?" Sanya said, showing the card._

_ "I'm sorry Sanya. It means no. But don't worry, it may mean just in the near future. The farther into the future you ask, the less accurate the answer becomes," Eila said, reassuring Sanya. She then set the cards again, this time asking a question herself. Eila set it as the Love spread, and asked if Sanya was the love interest the cards were referring to before. The answer was a resounding yes. "What did you ask, Eila?" Sanya asked, peering at the cards. Eila jumped and quickly gathered up the cards, even thought Sanya couldn't read them. "N-Nothing! I-I just asked how the weather was gonna be. Reply was hazy," Eila lied. Sanya looked at her curiously but otherwise didn't press. They talked for a while, and played with a normal deck of cards Eila had. They got to know each other better, and found many things in common with each other._

_ From that point on Eila and Sanya were inseparable. They were the best of friends, and completely devoted to each other. Each knew that if one of them was in trouble, the other would drop everything to help. Yet at the back of Eila's mind, she wanted something more..._

"Eila?" The Suomus girl was shaken out of her flashback by a concerned Sanya.

"Eh? I'm fine Sanya, don't worry about me," Eila said with a nervous laugh. _Why am I so nervous around her today?_ Eila thought. Sanya looked her straight in the eyes. The Orussian witch's emerald green eyes met Eila's pale blue ones. Just before Eila could break under Sanya's inquisitive gaze, a sharp knock came from the door. "Juutilainen! Litvyak! Report to the assembly hall in five minutes! Otherwise I'll drag you there," Drake said with a hint of humor, before Sanya and Eila heard his footsteps fade away. "Who does he think he is?" Eila jokingly raged, earning a small laugh from her friend. Drake in fact was the Marshal of the Strike Witches and supreme commander of the Strike Witches worldwide. They finished and went to the assembly hall, where they were the last to arrive. The assembly hall was an enormous amphitheater, large enough to hold over several thousand people. When Eila and Sanya took their seats, not a single one was left. Drake walked up to the podium at the center and cleared his throat. Every witch and soldier, and other personnel turned to his direction.

"Thank you. Now that I have your attention, let the weekly meeting begin. First off, a moment of silence for those who have fallen in combat this last week. Thankfully, the number is smaller than usual," Drake said. Everyone bowed their heads in respect and the whole hall was silent. _I doubt many other people could pull that off,_ Eila thought, silently respectful of Drake's leadership. When the moment had passed, Drake continued.

"Now, since one of the fallen was a night witch, the wingman of Flight Lieutenant Litvyak, we need someone to take her place. Any volunteers?" Before Drake could finish, Eila shot up from her seat and waved her hands wildly. "Here, here! I volunteer!" she shouted before she knew what she was doing.

"Eila. Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Drake said. A few laughs flickered around the hall. "Very well, you will be assigned as Sanya's wingman. From now on your schedule will match hers, and you will follow whatever orders she gives you. Is that clear?"

"Yes sir!" Eila said immediately. Drake nodded.

"Now for reports of the enemy's activity. We have lost Iwo Jima to the Neuroi, and they are now able to make more frequent direct attacks on this base because of that. As a result, our patrols _must _be more frequent and thorough. No one is to fly alone. If you must or have been separated for some reason, report your position to the base here. If you can't do that, abandon your mission and return to base immediately. We cannot afford to lose anymore witches," Drake said. Eila began to tune out his words as she thought of her new mission. _Night patrol... with Sanya,_ she thought, smiling unknowingly.

_JUUTILAINEN! Stop drooling over Sanya and pay attention!_ a booming voice echoed in her head. She forgot that Drake could read minds, _and_ was telepathic. She shrunk back sheepishly, taking her eyes off Sanya. For the next hour Eila struggled with focusing on what Drake had to say, but her attention kept crawling back to Sanya. Eila was eternally thankful that Drake's constant reminders were only sent to her, and not said out loud in front of the whole base.

"Eila, a word?" Drake said before she could leave with Sanya at the end of the meeting. "Go ahead, I'll be with you," Eila said to Sanya, approaching her superior officer. "I understand if Sanya is more interesting than what I have to say, but you could at least make an effort to pay more attention," Drake said chidingly.

"I did!" Eila snapped back. Drake raised an eyebrow at her outburst. "I'm sorry," she said, "I'm just-"

"Excited to be on the night patrol with Sanya?"

"Stop reading my mind!" Eila said angrily. Drake chuckled. "If only I could. I hear the minds of everyone within a certain distance, which is quite a bit. I can't turn it off, despite the times when I _want_ to," he said. Eila just sighed in defeat.

"You seem very attached to Sanya," Drake mused.

"Gee, what made you think that?" Eila replied sarcastically.

"I didn't mean just as friends."

"What?" Eila asked, guarded now. Drake grinned. "You like her." Eila stammered, looked for a clever retort that would never come. Instead, she shyly nodded. "Is it that obvious?"

"Do birds have wings?" Drake said with an even more satisfied grin. "Don't worry, your secret is safe with me. But tell me, why make it a secret?"

"Because... because..." Eila said, looking for the right words. "You're afraid of what Sanya might think?" Drake supplied. Eila nodded again. "Everyone at some point has that fear. I think she would say yes. She's obviously very attached to you, and although I don't pick up any romantic thoughts from her, I'm sure she'd feel the same way. I can ask Emily to read her emotions, but I'm sure the answer would be the same as mine. All I can say Eila, is to just suck in your gut and tell her. You may not always have the chance," Drake said.

"Thanks, I guess," Eila replied.

"You're welcome. Well, I've got piles of paperwork to do. Unless you have intentions of helping me with that, I suggest you make yourself scarce. Have fun on your night patrol," Drake said with a wink, before leaving to his office. Eila felt embarrassed yet relieved at the same time. _At least I have someone to talk to,_ Eila thought as she left to find Sanya.

The last rays of the sun disappeared beyond the horizon, signaling the beginning of Sanya and Eila's night patrol. They would go alone, but would be in constant radio contact with the other night witches. _No one can beat Sanya and I,_ Eila thought smugly as they took off. She looked ahead at Sanya, mesmerized by her friend's beauty. Sanya's black cat features and her radio antennae were active. The antennae cast a verdant green glow on the girl's snow white face. She started to sing, and Eila was captivated. "Eila?" Sanya asked, once more breaking Eila's daydreaming. "Huh, what?" she asked, shaking her head.

"What did Drake ask you about earlier?"

"Oh, uh, nothing! Just making sure I knew what I was getting into when I signed up for this. I told him I've done this before," Eila stuttered. Sanya laughed softly. "You've been acting strange today," she said innocently.

"It's been a weird day," Eila replied honestly. It _had_ been a bit strange today. They continued on, the night sky crystal clear.

For several hours they flew, enjoying each other's company, until the radio crackled to life. It was the command center. "Any sightings?" the night patrol captain asked.

"Negative sir, no Neuroi in range," Sanya answered, her antennae flickering a darker green as she spoke. The other patrols came in with the same answer. _Guess the Neuroi are taking a break,_ Eila jokingly thought.

Throughout the night they continued their patrol, but came across no Neuroi, and neither did any of the other patrols. At the first sign of the impending sunrise they turned back to base. Sanya was just beginning to show signs of weariness. However Eila was virtually sleep-flying. It took all her willpower and strength to keep her eyes open and maintain altitude and heading. This was the first night patrol she had been on since she, Sanya, and Miyafuji were assigned night patrol two years ago in Britannia. "We're almost there Eila," Sanya reassured, flying next to her sleepy friend.

_Now I know how she could mistake my bed for hers,_ Eila thought, correcting her dropping altitude. By the time they got to base, Sanya was exhausted too. Thankfully the runway was well lit, and they made a safe landing. Drowsily stepping out of her strikers, Eila slumped her way to her room, only awake enough to make sure Sanya was safely following her. She didn't even bother removing her uniform: she opened the door, and fell asleep before her head hit the pillow. Sanya fell on top of her, somehow having the energy to remove her uniform beforehand, yet Eila was already in too deep a sleep to notice or care.


	2. Chapter 2

**STRIKE WITCHES: HEROS' RETURN: EILA AND SANYA**

**Chapter Two**

A few hours later, Eila woke up with a groan. At first she panicked as she felt weight on her, but relaxed when she saw it was only Sanya. Then she was faced with a problem: how to get up without waking her. She gently eased her way out from under Sanya, being careful with each step. Eila was soon out from under her friend. Then she walked out to see what the time was.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" Eila nearly jumped out of her skin.

"How do you keep doing that?" she asked Drake, clutching her chest.

"I'm quiet. Now, what are you doing up? It's ten in the morning, you should be resting for your patrol tonight," Drake replied.

"I wanted to know the time," Eila said.

"Well now you have it. Go back to bed," he replied, turning to leave. Eila narrowed her eyes, but said nothing. Her stomach grumbled. Heading to the kitchen and grabbing a cinnamon roll, she headed back to her room. There she ate the roll in peace, listening to the soft breath of her sleeping roommate. Her hunger sated, she gently joined Sanya and curled up behind her, putting a protective arm around the Orussian girl. It was there she fell back to sleep.

Sanya woke up, feeling a little more refreshed and rested. "So warm," she mumbled, nestling back further into Eila's sleeping form. Only Eila wasn't asleep, for she had awoken half an hour ago and could not fall back to sleep. She pretended to sleep, so Sanya wouldn't know she was awake. Sanya's head was snugly resting in the crook of her neck, and Eila's hand was on her middle, just above her waist.

"Good morning, Eila." Eila jumped a bit, surprised that Sanya knew she was awake. "Good morning Sanya. At least I think it's morning," Eila said, smirking.

"I'm hungry," Sanya said groggily.

"Would you like me to get you something?" Eila asked. Sanya nodded. Eila got up once more, and headed to the kitchen. This time Lynette Bishop was on cooking duty. "What's for breakfast Lynne?" Eila asked.

"You mean 'what's for tea'. It's mid afternoon," Lynne said, setting up the tea carts. Eila grabbed a few sandwiches and sconces and brought them back to her room. She and Sanya ate them in relative silence, Sanya not being much of a talker, and Eila being too shy to talk. Suddenly, the siren went off. _Neuroi,_ Eila thought, quickly getting dressed into a new uniform. She and Sanya raced towards the hangar, where many other witches were already taking off. As they jumped into their strikers, their radios crackled to life.

"Radar shows there are several Neuroi inbound directly from Iwo Jima, about ten of them. One is a large-type, the others are fighter sized. Engage and destroy the enemy!" Drake's voice said, cutting through the static.

"Roger!"

Eila flew beside Sanya, keeping a constant eye out to make sure the Orussian witch did not fall asleep in flight. She herself though had a difficult time keeping her eyes open. The temptation to just close her eyes and relax was great. But she persevered, determined to protect herself and Sanya. "I'm fine, Eila," Sanya said, as if reading her mind. Eila nodded, but still fortified herself against her own exhaustion. Within a few minutes, the Neuroi were in sight. "Engage!" Group Captain Minna said, swooping in at the large Neuroi. It was a usual manta ray shape, guarded by several smaller Neuroi, shaped similarly to fighter planes.

Sanya shot off a volley of rockets that impacted against the large Neuroi's hide. It squealed in pain and fury, and shot several beams in her direction. "Oh no you don't!" Eila yelled, yanking Sanya out of the way. She then retaliated with a volley of her own. The bullets ripped through the crystal hide of the alien, but no core was beneath. The wound shortly healed itself, as if it never happened. "Focus on the fighters first!" Minna said. Eila trained her gun on the closest fighter and fired. It exploded in a shower of white fragments, not even having time to fire back. Rockets rushed past Eila and destroyed another.

Eila saw out of the corner of her eye that Miyafuji was with her wingman Emily Holt and they had another fighter well in hand. So did Lynne and Perrine. The Karlsland trio had one for each of them, and Lucchini and Shirley had another. The other was taken care of by Commander Grandone's squadron. Soon only the large Neuroi was left. Enraged by the loss of its smaller brethren, the Neuroi fired off all its beams, making all the witches scatter and fall back. It then focused all its beams and shot them at Sanya. Before Eila could even move, and just before the beams could hit Sanya, a giant shield was generated in front of her. Before her was Miyafuji, who had come to their rescue. "How dare you try to shoot MY SANYA!" Eila shouted, diving towards the Neuroi, gun blazing. The skin of the beast was torn open and the core exposed, and Eila destroyed it without mercy. She tore through the Neuroi as it disintegrated, still firing at what remained.

"Juutilainen! Stand down, the enemy has been destroyed!" came the sharp bark of Drake's voice through Eila's earpiece. Reluctantly she did as she was told, the fragments of the Neuroi falling around her as she returned protectively to Sanya's side. "Great shot Eila!" Miyafuji said, in her usual happy-go-lucky attitude.

"Thanks. But don't thank just me, it was Sanya too," Eila replied.

"It's okay Eila," Sanya said quietly. Miyafuji thanked her anyway. With the Neuroi threat eliminated, they returned to base. Drake, as usual, was waiting for them in the hangar. "Congratulations on another mission well done! If we keep all our missions as successful as this, we'll have the Neuroi driven out in no time," he said. As everyone was getting out of their strikers and returning to their schedules, Drake pulled Eila and Sanya aside.

"You two have been quite busy lately, I commend you on your service. I would like to offer something to you, if you are interested," he said.

"Depends on what it is," Eila replied cautiously. Drake laughed.

"I have arranged to have a talent show of sorts to take place in the assembly hall in about a month. To raise morale and give everyone a chance to relax and have fun. I hear you can sing Sanya. Is that true?" Sanya nodded. "Well, I'd certainly like to see the both of you perform something, and it would be a shame if you could not. The grand piano and any other instruments you need are at your disposal, at any time. I hope to see you then," Drake said, before walking over to join Miyafuji and her group. "Uh..." Eila said, as he walked away.

"What is it?" Sanya asked. Eila shook her head. "It's nothing."

The truth was, Eila believed she could not sing. Or at least, no where near as well as Sanya. Over the next few weeks, Eila and Sanya spent the nights on patrol, and most of the day sleeping. In the late afternoon into the evening just before their patrol, they would head to the assembly hall to practice. Sanya would sing and play the piano, whereas Eila would try out various instruments. So far she was having little luck.

"Why don't you sing with me?" Sanya asked one day.

"I can't sing," Eila said. Sanya laughed softly. "Of course you can! Anyone can sing."

"But not as well as you. I'd just make us both sound bad," Eila said.

"That's not true," Sanya pressed.

"Is so!"

'Is not!" Eila sighed. This was getting her nowhere. Sanya was already looking slightly flustered, so Eila gave up. "I'll try," she said, willing to do anything to make Sanya happy. The snow white girl smiled, melting Eila's heart. Together they began to sing. To Eila's surprise and joy, they sounded quite good. Very good, in fact. Eila was confident that they could win the show and the reward to come.

Time went by. Eila and Sanya spent almost all their time together, be it on the night patrol, sleeping, preparing for the talent show, or just relaxing. Eila was happy the way it was, and wished it could stay like this forever, just her and her Sanya. But her heart wanted more. In the few weeks remaining before the talent show, Eila tried to get closer to Sanya, but could not find the courage to move past friendship. Then, one day, things took a turn for the worst.

"Sanya-chan, Eila-san!" Miyafuji called out, running across the assembly hall to where Eila and Sanya were sitting by the grand piano.

"Yoshika!" Sanya said, waving and smiling. Eila simply waved back. "What are you four doing here?" she asked, referring to Miyafuji, Lynne, Emily, and Perrine.

"Yoshika thought it would be a good idea to see what you were up to, and help out if we could," Emily said brightly.

"We're fine, thank you," Eila said sourly. She really wanted this to be her and Sanya's thing, and their's alone. However, Sanya was more than happy for the additional company. Miyafuji's group joined in, and soon they had a mini-choir going. Miyafuji and Emily seemed to be competing to see who could sing the highest and loudest, to the point where everyone else had stopped and were half-expecting to hear glass shatter. Any glass in range remained intact however, and the contest ended in laughter, rasping in Emily and Miyafuji's cases.

After they finished singing, they started to gossip. Sanya didn't have much to say, but listened intently to what Miyafuji, Emily, and Lynne had to say. Perrine considered herself above such engagements, and Eila's patience was wearing thin.

It was at the point where Miyafuji was whispering, "Did you hear about-" that Eila patience finally snapped.

"Would you all just SHUT UP!" she shouted, standing up. Everyone stopped and looked at her in shock, Sanya included. "I've had just about enough of you four! Sanya and I are supposed to be preparing for the talent show, not to mention we have our patrol tonight, and here you are messing that up!" Eila continued.

"Hey relax, we're just having a bit of fun. No harm in that, right?" Emily said casually. Eila turned on her. "WRONG! Sanya and I need to focus, and all you are doing is distracting us. GET OUT!" she screeched, pointing to the door.

"Eila-" Miyafuji began.

"No! Don't 'Eila' me Miyafuji. This was your plan from the beginning, to take away time from me and Sanya! Well I won't have it!" Eila said, rounding on the Fuso girl.

"Eila, you're being rather rude," Perrine said crossly.

"Don't start with me four-eyes! Well, what about you? Do you have any smart-ass comments to make?" Eila said, directing her question at Lynne. Lynne quailed under the girl's furious gaze, and shook her head. She then fled the room.

"Lynne, wait!" Miyafuji called, running after her. Emily and Perrine followed suit. Now it was just Sanya and Eila again. Eila sighed and turned to her friend, only to see an emotion rarely seen on the Orussian girl's face. Anger.

"What on earth was that about Eila!?" Sanya asked, her faced flushed with frustration. Eila took a step back. "They were bothering us! Distracting us from what we need to do," she replied. Sanya shook her head vehemently. "No, they were being good friends, and you scared them off! Why?"

"Because we need to focus on our talent, and our night patrols!"

"How does harmless singing and gossip take away time from that?"

"It just does!"

"That's not good enough!" Sanya shouted. Eila had _never_ heard Sanya shout before. It scared her. "Why do you insist on keeping me away from the other witches? Why do you isolate me? I know you care for me and we are friends, but that's no excuse! It's like you want me all to yourself!" Sanya said, her face now bright red with anger.

"It's not that, I just... I just..." Eila stammered.

"Just _what_ Eila?" Sanya demanded.

"It's because I love you!"

"Well you're not acting like it! If you loved me you'd put my happiness before yours. You're so selfish!"

"If you opened your eyes and knew how I really felt, you'd think differently! You're so stupid!" Eila shouted back. She then regretted the words as soon as she had said them. But the damage was already done. Around those emerald eyes, crystal tears began to well up. "Sanya I'm so sorry-" Eila said, trying to hold her friend, but Sanya pushed her away angrily. Tears now pouring down her face, Sanya fled the hall, bumping into Drake as she left. Drake strode calmly down the aisles until he came up to Eila. "I heard shouting. Care to explain?" he said gently. Eila shook her head.

"I see. Well, if you need to talk, I'm here. Or you can talk to Emily if you like," Drake said. Eila shook her head again. Sensing he was not wanted, he left her to cry in peace.

That night, Sanya went on her patrol alone. By the time Eila reached the hangar, Sanya was long gone. Sighing sadly, Eila returned to her room, and with difficulty, fell into troubled sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**STRIKE WITCHES: HEROS' RETURN: EILA AND SANYA**

**Chapter Three**

_It was stormy. Eila could barely see through the rain, but could spot the faint glow of Sanya's antennae and the lights on her striker. At first she thought that she was on patrol with her, but then remembered that Sanya had left without her. Eila looked down and saw she was flying without her striker unit. "How am I doing that?" she asked herself. The storm intensified. The waters below were choppy and chaotic, the winds were blowing hard, thunder and lightning cracked overhead, and the ever-present rain got thicker. Suddenly, a screech pierced through the heavens. "Neuroi," Sanya said quietly, flipping the safety on her Fliegerhammer rocket launcher. She fired a few volleys, each rocket carving a huge hole in the clouds, only for those holes to be filled in again within seconds. One rocket however, found its mark. The Neuroi screeched in pain, and fired several beams. Sanya dodged all of them, and fired another volley. This time, they found their target dead-center. The last rocket to hit impacted the Neuroi's core, causing it to disintegrate. But before it wailed its last wail, the Neuroi had its revenge. It fired all its beams, before exploding in a shower of white sparks. Sanya moved out of the way... only to fly headlong into another. "NOOOOO!" Eila cried as the beam tore through Sanya's chest. The Orussian witch then dropped like a stone, plunging into the watery depths of the sea._

"NO!" Eila shouted, sitting bolt upright. She was in a cold sweat, her eyes wild and scared. It had felt so _real_. Eila quickly got out her tarot cards and set them up in the Love spread. She didn't deny it now, she _loved _Sanya with all her heart. When she finished, she looked down at the card in horror. "Oh no..." she whispered, bolting out the room, leaving the card facing up. The card was Death.

BANG BANG BANG! BANG! BANG! Drake was woken up abruptly by furious banging on his door. He shuffled drowsily to the door and opened it to find a panicked Eila in nothing but her undergarments. "Eila? What are you doing here? You're supposed to be on patrol. And why aren't you dressed?" he said.

"Sanya's in trouble!" Eila said frantically. Drake perked up when he saw the fear in the girl's eyes.

"Calm down, take deep breaths. Why do you think Sanya's in trouble?" he said calmly. Eila would not have any of it. "I don't need this 'calm down' crap! I _saw_ it! I saw Sanya get shot by the Neuroi!"

"What do you mean, you _saw_?"

"I had a premonition." Drake raised his eyebrows. "I'M NOT KIDDING AROUND! Get a hold of Sanya for me!" Eila shouted. _If that means I can get some sleep, sure_ Drake thought. "Come with me," he said. He lead Eila to the command center, where the night staff was hard at work. "Get Flight Lieutenant Litvyak on the line please," Drake told them.

"Flight Lieutenant Litvyak, do you read me? Report in," the tower commander said into the radio. There was no response. "Try again," Drake commanded. The man did, with the same result. After five times, he put his headset down. "No reply sir, I cannot get a hold of her."

"Try again!" Eila said. Drake motioned to the commander and the man gave up his headset. Magic humming from his body, Drake tried to connect to Sanya's mind through the radio. His face turned pale. "What is it?" Eila asked nervously.

"I can't reach her. I can't reach her mind because it's not there."

"WHAT?!" Eila said, dread creeping into her.

"There are three possibilities. One: she simply could be out of range. Even through the radio, my magic has its limits. The problem with that is, what would Sanya be doing so far away at all, never mind alone? Second, something or someone could be interfering with the signal. Third..." he trailed off.

"What's third?" Eila demanded.

"Third is, she's been shot down," Drake said. Just then, the radio came to life. An eerie song echoed through the room, similar to Sanya's. "I've heard that voice before... it's a Neuroi!" Eila said. The siren went off, confirming her fears. Drake grabbed a microphone and put it to his mouth.

"Attention all witches! This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill! Neuroi have been detected within range of the base. All units mobilize immediately to engage and neutralize the enemy! A special message: Flight Lieutenant Sanya Litvyak of the 501st Joint Fighter Wing has gone MIA, and most likely shot down. If anyone finds her, report your position to Group Captain Minna. Medics: be on standby in the event Miss Litvyak is injured. That is all," Drake said. "Get me a pair of strikers ready," he told a mechanic.

"You're going to fly?" Eila asked. She had only see him fly once before.

"Yes. We need every able body for this mission. We _cannot _lose anyone of the 501st," Drake replied. Eila nodded. They raced towards the hangar - Eila taking a short detour to get dressed at Drake's orders - along side many other witches. Miyafuji came up beside them. "Sanya is missing?" she asked, worry etched across her face. Drake and Eila nodded. Once in the hangar, everyone excluding Drake mounted their strikers and took off into the stormy night. "Go! I'll be with you in a few minutes," Drake said to Eila. She nodded, taking off.

"SANYA!" Eila called out, as she and the rest of the 501st flew over the Pacific. Everyone else was calling out Sanya's name too, but they could barely be heard over the voice of the storm. The rain soaked through Eila's uniform, giving her shivers along with the chill of dread she already had. "Sanya!" she cried, tears rolling down her already wet cheeks.

"We'll find her, don't worry. And when we do, we'll bring her home safe and sound," Drake said, flying next to her. Eila was not convinced. Her mind kept going back to the Death card in her reading. "The Death card has many meanings, Eila. Do not automatically assume it's being literal."

"But what if it is?"

"Then there is nothing we can do. We can't change fate," Drake said. At the thought of seeing Sanya dead, new tears flowed from Eila's pale blue eyes to compete for room with the old tears and the never ending rain. They searched on, combing through the waters thoroughly.

An hour had gone by. Two. Three. Eila was getting more and more miserable by the minute, her body cold and wet from the rain, bogged down by her soaking clothes. Her heart throbbed and twisted, and her voice was hoarse with the effort of calling out Sanya's name. She did not stop, even though her bones ached and her skin was numb with despair. Throughout the night she continued on, practically begging for even a sliver of hope that Sanya was alive. Just before the first rays of sunlight pierced the clouds, Eila froze.

_So cold, she thought. She couldn't breathe, couldn't move. Couldn't hear, taste, or smell. She only felt. Cold, and intense pressure, like she was going to be crushed. With great effort, she opened her eyes for a split second, to see she was deep underwater. Just at the edge of her depth of vision, before she blacked out, she saw something fly across the waves..._

"Sanya!" Eila shouted. She dived straight at the water, and using her magic for protection, shot through the surface of the sea.

"Is she crazy?! What is she doing?" Barkhorn said, going after her. Drake stopped her. "No. She saw something. We should trust her, and wait." They waited. A minute went by. Five minutes.

Eila shot through the water. Though her strikers were not made to swim they churned through the sea, boosted by Eila's adrenaline. She swam deeper and deeper. The water was getting colder, and darker, and the pressure was building. Searching for Sanya in the sea was like finding a needle in a haystack. The fact that her guise and her strikers were dark colors only made matters worse. Eila searched for several minutes, growing desperate. She could not see Sanya, and was barely aware of where the surface was. If she was not careful, she would soon drown. Drifting backward, she bumped into something. _What?_ Eila thought. She turned around, and saw Sanya! The night witch was unconscious, her strikers and weapon gone. In the back of her mind, Eila wondered if Sanya was even alive, given the depth of how far she sunk. However the rest of her focused on getting Sanya to safety. Eila scooped her up the best she could underwater, and shot upward.

Suddenly, the water burst apart, and there was Eila, carrying an unconscious Sanya in her arms! _Thank goodness,_ Drake thought. However his elation was short-lived.

"Sanya! Sanya, wake up! Please wake up!" Eila cried, tears pouring down her face as she shook the motionless witch.

"Yoshika!" Drake ordered. Miyafuji flew down and placed her hands gently on Sanya's neck.

"I can't feel a pulse." Eila's heart nearly stopped.

"NO! There has to be! She can't die!" she said, her voice cracking. Sanya lay as still as stone. No breath, no pulse, no movement. The flesh on her chest was burned badly, and given that her back was similarly burned, Eila suspected several of Sanya's internal organs were charred as well. Eila's world was turned upside down. "I'm sorry Sanya, I'm _so sorry_! I never meant to hurt you," she said, weeping. Her heart felt like it had been wrenched apart and put through a meat grinder. The Orussian girl did not respond. Drake came over. "I'm sorry, but Sanya is-" Miyafuji began, tears beginning to flow down her own face.

"Not dead," Drake said calmly. Both Miyafuji and Eila looked at him in confusion.

"I can sense brainwave activity. There is some with Sanya. She's still with us, but quickly fading. We need to get her healed _now_," he said, helping Eila support Sanya. Miyafuji set her hands back on Sanya and closed her eyes. Her body glowed, and magic flowed from her fingertips into the injured witch. Her minor injuries healed themselves, and Eila felt warmth return to Sanya's body. "There is a pulse now," Miyafuji said. At the same time, Sanya inhaled sharply and coarsely.

"Sanya!" Eila cried, hugging her friend closely. However Sanya still remained unresponsive beyond slow ragged breathing.

"She's alive, but in a coma. We should get her back to base, heal those burns," Drake said. Together the three of them supported Sanya's body and carried her carefully back to base. A group of medic witches were waiting for them, and with Miyafuji's help, healed the worst of Sanya's injuries. They moved her to a dry bed in the hospital wing. Eila did not leave her side. "If she's healed, why isn't she awake?" she asked Drake, on the verge of tears once more. Drake looked only slightly less worried. "Her external injuries have healed, but there is nothing we can do about the coma. She may wake up any moment now... or she'll never wake up again. We just don't know," he said.

Eila looked over to Sanya, where she was wreathed in blankets and pillows for her comfort. "Sanya," she breathed, finally breaking. She collapsed on the chair next to the bed and cried, and cried and cried and cried. Whenever she thought she was done, she would see Sanya unconscious in front of her and new tears would spill from her eyes. Her stomach twisted and seized, and she rushed for the bathroom, vomiting in the toilet until nothing could come up. When she was done she returned to Sanya's side, the tears never ending, her body quivering and weak. "I'm so sorry I yelled at you," Eila sobbed, pouring her heart out then and there.

"I'm sorry I acted so selfishly, and I'm sorry I never told you how much I love you. You mean the world to me and I would be lost without you! I love your eyes, how they sparkle in the moonlight and are the most beautiful green I've ever seen. I love your hair, soft as velvet! Your voice is like an angel's, I could listen to you sing until the day I die. You're song makes my heart ache and melt. I love how you know and love me for who I am. You are my one and only, Sanya. You are my soul mate," Eila said, before her tears rendered her mute. That night she cried herself to sleep, beside her beloved. Drake quietly left, shutting off the lights as he went. "I hope Sanya wakes up so she can hear that," he said under his breath, so he wouldn't wake Eila.

The next day, Eila woke up from a terrible nightmare. She had dreamed Sanya had been shot down by the Neuroi. Breathing a sigh of relief, she stretched the kinks out of her neck... only to see Sanya out cold in the hospital bed in front of her. "No," Eila said, her throat closing up. "No no no no..."

She began to cry fresh tears, drops dripping from her downcast nose onto Sanya's blankets.

Eila made it her task to care for Sanya in every way, from cleaning her bedding to checking her IVs and other life support systems she was hooked up to. The doctors were at first objective to Eila's assistance, but under Drake's order they let her help, going as far as to teach her how to operate the machines. Eila - when not operating something or otherwise caring for Sanya - would often sit by Sanya's side and hold her hand, quietly crying, even past the point where her tears ran dry.


	4. Chapter 4

**STRIKE WITCHES: HEROS' RETURN: EILA AND SANYA**

**Chapter Four**

The days went by. Eila never left Sanya's side for a moment, except when to use the bathroom. Food was brought to her, and she ate very little. Nothing else interested her, she never took her eyes off Sanya.

"You know," Drake said one day, "You need to take better care of yourself. Think of it this way: what good are you doing Sanya if you starve yourself?" and Eila was convinced to eat enough. She still never left Sanya, even during attacks.

The rest of the 501st saw the changes in Eila as the days turned into weeks. She became more withdrawn, all humor and mischief had left her, and she only spoke when absolutely necessary. Eila's skin was pale to begin with, but it became a sickly grey from her depression.

Minna gave Eila indefinite leave of duty, Sakamoto also let her stay out of training. Barkhorn was less harsh with her, and Hartmann often payed her a visit, talking about stuff her and Sanya would chat about. Such conversations were always one sided. Shirley provided what moral support she could. Lucchini tried to cheer Eila up with her antics, until she almost smashed an oxygen tank. She was promptly banned from the hospital wing because of that. Perrine apologized to Eila for her many snotty remarks to her and Sanya. Miyafuji, Lynne, and Emily did their best to cheer their friend up. They made sweets, they sat in silence with Eila, they brought in food for her. But no matter what they all did, nothing worked. Eila remained depressed, falling deeper into the pit with each moment Sanya remained still. Then one day, Miyafuji had an idea...

One day everyone was seated around the comatose Sanya. "Hey Eila-san, I have an idea," Miyafuji said.

"Eh?" Eila managed to croak out, not taking her eyes off Sanya.

"An ancient Fuso legend speaks of making origami cranes for someone you love. If you make a thousand of them, you are granted one wish. Maybe we could try that with Sanya-chan," Miyafuji offered. Eila looked up, a small sparkle of hope in her eyes. "That could work..." Eila said, pulling out her tarot cards. The reading however, was vague. Eila's shoulders sagged.

"It's worth a try Eila. In any event it will give you something to do besides pine over Sanya," Drake advised. Eila nodded faintly. Drake ordered several stacks of paper to be brought to the room, and under Miyafuji's instructions, they began to make paper cranes. Eila fixated on her paper.

_If I make these cranes, maybe... just maybe she'll get better,_ she thought. Her resolution was set: she would make one thousand of her own paper cranes, no matter how long it took. She followed Miyafuji's instructions carefully, making several crudely shaped cranes by the end of the day. She didn't stop when Miyafuji and the others left though. Eila continued folding paper after paper long into the night, until she fell asleep with a half folded crane held delicately in her hand.

Eila continued to make crane after crane for the next several weeks, creating a few dozen each day. The rest of the 501st - and after Drake's assembly notice, the whole base - added their contributions to the list. Soon there were so many cranes Drake had them all moved to the assembly hall, where they wouldn't be in the way, or in harms way. By the end of one month, there were well over several thousand cranes made for Sanya, several hundred of them being Eila's. Still she continued, never stopping until her Sanya would wake up.

At two months, Eila reached her thousandth crane. As she folded the last fold, now an expert at it, Eila made a silent prayer. "Please. Whoever is in charge of the whole thousand crane thing, please bring me back my Sanya. I can't live without her," and she strung the bird along with the others. She then cast her gaze on her beloved, who lay still on the bed. Eila still thought of her as the definition of beauty, even with all the tubes and machines around her.

"So many cranes," Miyafuji said solemnly, as she hung up another string of cranes in the assembly hall.

"Yeah. I'm thinking of renaming this place 'The Hall of Cranes'. Fitting, no?" Drake said, smirking slightly, despite the mood that had been hanging around the base for three months.

"Drake, will Sanya ever wake up?" Emily asked timidly. Drake sighed.

"I don't know. I really don't know. I hope she will though. Not just for Eila's sake, but for the sake of the world," he said cryptically. Miyafuji and Emily looked at each other in confusion. However they knew asking Drake what he meant would get them nowhere. They headed back to see if Eila had any more cranes ready.

Six months had gone by since Sanya was rescued from the sea, yet still she remained in a coma. Eila had already made several thousand cranes herself, and the ceiling of the assembly hall - now officially called the Hall of Cranes - had several hundred-thousand crane strings. Paper was in low supply. Eila was on the verge of giving up. Several times she pleaded to have Sanya back, and so far the Orussian witch lay in stillness. Drake had tried to hide it, but Eila knew that they couldn't keep Sanya on life support for much longer. Each day when she took a break from making cranes, Eila would check her tarot cards, only to come up with the same Death card. That would send her into a fresh wave of tears. "Sanya..." she choked, clutching the pale girl's hand to her chest. She fell asleep soon after, resting her head on Sanya's lap.

Later that night, Drake moved to bring Eila to her bed where she would be more comfortable, when something stopped him. _Is it just me, or did something just move?_ he thought. A moth flew in front of him, landing on his outstretched hand. He shook his head. _Just a moth. _Drake opened the window and let the moth go. Just as he closed the window, he saw more movement out of the corner of his eye. _Another moth? I'm gonna have to talk to the staff about this,_ he thought.Drake saw the movement again. Then he realized. "Sanya?" The Orussian witch grimaced, then groaned. She was awake!

"Sanya!" Drake said, elated.

"What... where am I?" Sanya asked, her voice weak and dry. "Welcome back my friend. We were beginning to assume the worst," Drake said softly, taking a seat beside Sanya's bed. "What happened? Why am I connected to all these tubes?" she asked. Drake promptly began to delicately detach all the now unneeded life support from her.

"Long story short: you got shot by the Neuroi, and have been in a coma for over six months. Had everyone worried sick." Sanya frowned.

"The last thing I remember was going on my patrol alone, after fighting with Eila..." she then noticed the sleeping Eila on her lap. Her frown deepened.

"I wouldn't be angry at her. She risked her life to save yours," Drake said quickly.

"What?"

"When the Neuroi shot you down, you sank into the sea. Somehow your magic kept you just above death, until Eila dived in the freezing waters to rescue you. She hasn't left your side since. She's fed you, kept you alive, changed your bedding, made you as comfortable as possible. She's also been praying for your return. See all these cranes?" Drake said, pointing out the many paper cranes that littered the room. "Wow..." Sanya said. There were many.

"All those cranes, _she_ made them, in hopes you would wake up. You should see the assembly hall. There are over a million paper cranes on the ceiling, between Eila's work and the rest of the base. She loves you Sanya. Not just as a friend. Listen to this," Drake said, putting his hand on Sanya's forehead, allowing her to see what Drake had seen.

_"I'm sorry I acted so selfishly, and I'm sorry I never told you how much I love you. You mean the world to me and I would be lost without you! I love your eyes, how they sparkle in the moonlight and are the most beautiful green I've ever seen. I love your hair, soft as velvet! Your voice is like an angel's, I could listen to you sing until the day I die. You're song makes my heart ache and melt. I love how you know and love me for who I am. You are my one and only, Sanya. You are my soul mate,"_ As the memory went on, tears of joy sprang from Sanya's eyes. "Oh Eila," she said softly, stroking the girl's blonde hair. Eila mumbled in her sleep, whispering Sanya's name with sorrow.

"I'm here Eila, I'm alive," Sanya said just as quietly. Drake smiled. "You're really lucky, you know that? Very few people have the kind of devotion that Eila has for you. She would go to the ends of the earth, through hell and back for you. She's one in a million." Sanya nodded slowly. She was beginning to put the pieces together. Eila was _in love_ with her. That would explain her shyness, and her over-protectiveness. "She may be a selfish when it comes to time with you. But she loves you unconditionally - just the way you are. Eila would never ask you to change for her or for anyone, and loves you for everything you are. Faults and all," Drake said. Just then, Eila stirred.

"I'll take my leave, so you two can have some privacy. Remember what I told you," Drake said quietly, leaving the room. Eila slowly opened her eyes, ready for another day of gut-wrenching heartbreak and depression. "Good morning, Eila," Sanya said softly.

"Good morning Sanya," Eila said absentmindedly. Then her eyes shot wide open. "SANYA!" she shouted, sitting upright and looking at her friend in wonder and joy. "I'm happy to see you too," Sanya said with a smile. Eila tackled her with a huge hug, tears of pure happiness and relief flowing from her eyes.

"I thought I had lost you!" she sobbed, clutching Sanya tightly. Tears once more were pouring from her eyes, but this time, they were tears of joy. Sanya was surprised by the intensity of Eila's emotions and actions, but nevertheless touched. They embraced for several moments, before parting at arms length again, gazing into each others' eyes. "I _love _you Sanya! I love you, I love you, I love you! I'm so sorry I yelled at you and called you stupid. You're not stupid! You're smart, you're beautiful, you're amazing, you're-" Eila said, stopping when Sanya put a delicate finger to her lips.

"I know Eila. I heard about what you did," Sanya said, picking up a particularly well done crane. "I'm sorry too," she continued, "I didn't know just how much I meant to you. I... I love you too, Eila." With that, before she lost her courage, Sanya closed her eyes and pulled Eila into a kiss.

Eila's mind was completely and blissfully fried, as she returned the kiss with six months - and then some - worth of pent-up emotion. The kiss lasted as long as they could both keep it, until they ran out of breath. They parted, but only long enough to breathe, before their lips met again. Eila poured all her emotion into the kiss: all her love and lust and caring and compassion for Sanya, and she felt it returned just as strongly. It wasn't just a kiss, it was all the words unsaid that needed saying, all the feelings and emotions laid bare. They parted once more, gazing longingly into each others eyes.

"Promise you'll never leave me again? Promise you'll always be mine?" Eila whispered, gently caressing Sanya's cheek. Her voice was choked and heavy with emotion.

"I promise. I will never leave your side, and there will be no one else for me. There is no one else I'd rather have," Sanya whispered back, placing her hand on Eila's, holding it against her cheek. For the first time in half a year, Eila was happy. She got in the bed with Sanya, and the two love-struck witches fell asleep in each others' arms, without a care in the world. "Together forever," they both said, before they drifted off to sleep.

The next morning the doctor was shocked to find Eila and Sanya sleeping together, and that Sanya was sleeping normally. The word spread like wildfire, and by the time the two woke up, the whole base knew: Sanya was alive and well.

"Good morning love," Eila said, brushing silver hair out of Sanya's eyes.

"Good morning to you too," Sanya replied, giving Eila a quick kiss on the lips. Eila gently shivered at the feel of Sanya's soft lips against hers. They stayed snuggled together for a while longer, until the door burst open.

"Sanya!" many voices of the 501st cried. Miyafuji, Emily, and Lynne were the first to come in. They were elated to see Sanya was finally awake, and even more so to see her and Eila together. Barkhorn nodded approvingly, Hartmann gave Eila a slap on the back and a high five to Sanya. Lucchini started singing "Sanya and Eila, kissing in a tree..." until Shirley silenced her. The nurse who brought them in kept a hawk's eye on Lucchini.

"About time you woke up, we were beginning to worry about you," Sakamoto said lightly. Perrine offered them flowers, and Minna congratulated them.

"Glad to see you're finally awake, Flight Lieutenant Litvyak," Drake said with a wink only Sanya caught. She nodded in acknowledgment. "I'm glad to be back."

"Now, you've been comatose six months now, so you'll need to take it easy, build your strength back. You are hereby grounded until I believe you are capable of flight. Eila's been taking care of you thus far, no reason for her to stop now," Drake said. Eila and Sanya smiled at each other. "You guys also owe me a performance, by the way. I lost a bet because of you. I bet that you two would win the talent show. I at least deserve to see what we missed out on," he continued, feigning hurt. Eila and Sanya simply laughed. Everyone else joined in, even Drake.

A party was prepared, and the next day the whole base celebrated Sanya's recovery. Eila helped Sanya into a wheelchair and escorted her around base, where everyone was happy to see Sanya well, and that the two were together. "Can I just say, we all saw that coming a mile away?" one witch asked them.

"No, you may not," Eila huffed, earning a laugh from Sanya. Her Fliegerhammer and striker unit were replaced, ready for when Sanya could take to the skies again. Miyafuji, Emily, and Lynne baked sweets upon sweets for them, but they didn't each much. What they did eat they shared. Eila pulled Miyafuji over. "Miyafuji... Yoshika... thanks. For - for everything," Eila said, using Yoshika's first name.

"I'm glad you are happy again, Eila-san," she said, beaming. Any and all jealousy and negativity Eila may have had toward her melted right there. _She's done so much for me... for us. She deserves this much at least,_ Eila thought. She returned to Sanya's side, wrapping her arms around her from behind. "I have a bit of good news for you, Juutilainen," Drake said, approaching them. "What would that be?" Eila asked.

"Due to your commendable service and daring rescue of your comrade, you have been nominated and approved for the International Medal of Honor! In two weeks time I as the leader of the Strike Witches globally, will be giving you the Medal right here at this base. Since you are the first soldier to earn such an honor, you should count yourself lucky," he said, grinning broadly.

"Congratulations Eila!" Sanya said, also grinning. Eila felt proud of herself, but was mostly just happy to have her Sanya back, and to finally be with her with nothing to hide. She thanked Drake, and excusing her and Sanya, brought Sanya to the Hall of Cranes.

"Wow! These were all made for me?" Sanya asked in wonder.

"Right you are! Each and every last one of them. Six months worth of a few thousand people working on paper cranes results in a lot of them. I hope you like it," Eila said. Sanya looked up at her lover. "I love them Eila," she said, love and devotion burning in her eyes. They kissed once more, sending pleasant chills down Eila's spine. They broke apart upon hearing giggling near the doorway.

"Hey, do you mind!? We're having a moment here!" Eila shouted. The young witches scattered, still giggling. Sanya laughed, holding Eila's hand. Eila and Sanya spent as much time as they could tolerate in the festivities, until they retreated to the safety and privacy of their room. Someone had already decorated the room, with a huge banner saying 'Welcome back Sanya!'. Alone together at last, they embraced and kissed, happy and blissful. Just for the hell of it, Eila checked her tarot cards. She set it in the Lover's spread, and asking how her relationship would be with Sanya, she flipped a card. It was the World card.

"What does it mean?" Sanya asked. Eila grinned, her heart soaring. "It means... we'll be together forever."

"Why did Eila keep getting the Death card if Sanya was to wake up anyway?" Emily asked Drake, as he was playing with his own set of tarot cards. "Because, the Death card can mean many things. It represents _change_, for better or for worse. In this case, Eila did go through a lot of change, and it was rough. The cards never lie. But they never give us a straight answer. It's up to us to figure out what they mean," he said, flipping a card. "This is not good," Drake whispered.

"What does it mean?" Emily asked.

"It means our future lies in darkness..."

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


End file.
